Plans could see Ultra Low Emission Zone cover the whole of London

London driving costs set to rise with plans to expand Ultra Low Emissions Zone

The mayor of London Sadiq Khan has revealed the city’s Ultra Low Emission Zone could be expanded to cover the entire capital.

As reported by the Financial Times, Khan’s ambitions to improve the city’s air quality could impact millions of drivers in London. As per the report, Transport for London believes that around 18% of drivers in London could be impacted by the change.

The last expansion to the ULEZ areas came as recently as October 2021, but these latest changes could drastically change the way London road users drive every day.

The ULEZ was introduced to encourage more road users to replace their older, less efficient cars with something newer and greener, like an electric vehicle or a hybrid.

To determine whether a vehicle is ULEZ-compliant, they are categorised by their emissions and charged £12.50 a day to use the roads included within the ULEZ if their vehicle doesn’t meet the requirements.

The decision to expand the ULEZ is in line with London’s ambitious emissions target of being net-zero by 2030. 

Reacting to the announcement, Khan said, “Despite the world-leading progress we have made over the last few years, there is still far too much toxic air pollution permanently damaging the lungs of young Londoners and leading to thousands of deaths every year.”

An electric car lease in London is a fantastic, cost-effective method of lowering your running costs day-to-day. Electric cars are exempt from both the London Congestion Charge and ULEZ charges.

If you also take into account the rising price of fuel, there are further savings when it comes to road tax and benefits to enjoy for those considering business car leasing.

The ULEZ can be one of several unexpected costs for those travelling in and around London. Unlike other charges that apply to the capital, like the Congestion Charge, ULEZ charges apply 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

Carparison’s best electric car lease deals come with fixed monthly payments at competitive rates and are available with sought-after manufacturers like Tesla, Mercedes and Polestar.